wet/dry with a UV

[IMLON2]

I was told that a Wet/Dry is a nitrate factory.
So if I use a UV sterlizer with it will that help keep the nitrates down?

If not what does the UV Sterlizer kill?

[phistio]

on a reef tank or a fish only tank?

[IMLON2]

Reef!

[Pineapple House]

A UV wouldn't exactly lower your trates. This is a very debatible topic. Some say that a UV is the best thing they have ever bought, others say it's the worst. A UV will kill of plankton/planktonic larvea, any polyp/invert larvea, pods, and anything else that is essentull in a reef.

I bet you have either:

1. An over stocked tank
2. Over feed
3. Have mechanicle filteration that is producing trate
4. Have a very small/shallow sand bed that is not disolving organic matter

I would recommend you think start up a Refugium to lower some of your nitrate, if it is in fact high. Refugiums will greatly lower your trate. Some live sand/DSB might also lower it. Getting rid of some bio load (fish) will also reduce your nitrate amount. If you over feed, you should consider feeding less. Water changes is always highly recommended.

Please tell us how many fish you have, filteration, etc.

Also, I notice that you have 40wts of NO lighting, what corals are you keeping as of now?

PH =)

[IMLON2]

I bet you have either:

1. An over stocked tank
2. Over feed
3. Have mechanicle filteration that is producing trate
4. Have a very small/shallow sand bed that is not disolving organic matter



None of the above. I have a used 55gal with a Wet/Dry and a UV light. That I got cheap. I have heard bad things about Wet/Dry's and the UV's Just wanted to see if you put the two together it worked better. had never asked the Question that way.


Please tell us how many fish you have, filteration, etc.

I have 1 clown.

Also, I notice that you have 40wts of NO lighting, what corals are you keeping as of now?

Torch coral
Candy cane
Pulsating xenia (3 of them)
2 types of Zoo's
2 types of shrooms
Bubble coral
Montipora Digitata or Velvet coral

My 10 is great everything has been in there for months and is doing great.
The only problem I have with my 10 is hair algae.

[HoopsGuru]

A wet/dry is a mistake to use...as you already know, it produces nitrates.

The u.v. is not a remedy for this as is really does nothing for "nitrate reduction". It's only real use is on commercial grade tanks that have a lot of livestock introductions and exports to help reduce the passing of bacteria, parasites, etc.

As Pineapple stated, a u.v. is not selective, it simply kills what passes through it, this won't do anything for you hair algae but will kill anything beneficial in your water column. Of course, since you bought it used, this is all taking into consideration that the u.v. unit actually works. The bulb can even be lit and it still "not work" in case you are wondering. I'd stack it in the closet...I don't see it being a benefit for your problem.

[phistio]

i wouldn't say a wet/dry is a mistake, i'd just say that we've learned many other efficient ways for filtration...i.e. sumps, DSB's, LR, refugiums, etc.

i know plenty of people that use wet/dry's with a combination of live rock, instead of bio-balls

[HoopsGuru]

If it would help to be termed "there are much better choices" than I can deal with that. My point is, there is no need to have any type of filter that traps debris and adds to nitrate levels. I don't find it to be a highly recommended choice when there are much more efficient and cheaper alternatives.

[phistio]

agreed...and personally, i don't regularly condone the use of wet/dry...unless it's something that some one already own's, and would like to utilize it better...

so, as a matter of fact, a wet/dry would not be my first choice, rather an adaptation of the situation offered.

[Nemo]

i know plenty of people that use wet/dry's with a combination of live rock, instead of bio-balls


With this sort of setup would you need to supply a source of lighting?[/quote]

[HoopsGuru]

Cool, definitely agree. I can't say it would be easy for a newbie to resist a wet/dry recommendation from the LFS. When I first started and saw the Bio-rocker or whatever it is called I thought it looked like the coolest gadget around...and with all that technology, it had to be the best?! :lol:

[Nemo]

What would be the least amount of lighting necessary to support live rock in this sort of setup?

[HoopsGuru]

If you're just talking about liverock with coralline algae, then normal output lights that come standard with tanks would do fine. But if you are talking about getting rock that is flourishing with hitchhiking corals, sponges, etc...I would probably go with PC lighting.

Which leads me to some confusion, you keep referring to "this sort of setup" and I want to make sure that I understand what you are asking....a tank with just liverock is what i am assuming...as in a standard FOWLR setup?

[OscarBeast]

I agree with hoops here, however VHO lighting is a little more cost effective on a tank of this size (if we are talking about the 55).

[Nemo]

I should have clearly defined what I meant, my bad! What I was referring to was a set-up using the wet/dry with live rocks instead of the bioballs. I guess that the next step to completing this style of Biofilter would be to build a refugium. Am I correct in assuming this? Is there any other filter sysyem that would surpass the effectiveness of a refugium? Or is there only degrees of effectiveness found within a refugium set-up. for example with or w/o a sandbed, with or w/o mangroves.

[phistio]

live rock in a wet/dry requires no lighting...the rock is for filtering only, and does not use photosynthetic algeas for doing so...if lighting were to be used, NO lights would do fine...